In a blink of an eye, that all changed. In its stead came a powerful ownership group that forced MLS to rethink it’s posture. Flush with money, City brought the infrastructure and bankroll to make anything possible. The Yankees, meanwhile, offered an invaluable and respected local sporting partner that could potentially crack the long-sought-after New York City media market.

For MLS, the union was everything they hoped to have for this aspiring venture.

While most expected a big splash from the club in year one, NYC FC has instead featured a slow and steady approach to growth.

May 22nd: NYC FC holds their inaugural press conference, with former Mayor Mike Bloomberg in attendance and a plethora of Manchester City players representing the ownership group. Claudio Reyna is named the club’s first executive(Director of Football Operations).